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Jason Schulte

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Jason Schulte is a reporter for the New Richmond News since February 2015. Prior to that he spent eight years at the Pierce County Herald in Ellsworth. His duties with the News will include covering news out of Hammond and Roberts along with action from St. Croix County court system. He lives in Roberts with his wife and two daughters.

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(715) 243-7767 x243

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The Pierce County Finance and Personnel committee made their choice on who the next Administrative Coordinator should be Monday. JoAnn Miller was unanimously selected by the seven-man committee to lead Pierce County into the future. The nomination goes to the full County Board for their approval Tuesday night. Miller was previously a Village Administrator in DeForest, Wis., from 2003-2009 and before then spent six years as a City Administrator in Iowa. She started her working career as an Administrative Assistant for the U.S. Office of Education in Washington, D.C.

A River Falls man was charged Friday in Pierce County Circuit Court with four counts of possession of child pornography. Allan D. Dau, 46, N8424 900th St., No. A, is next scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint: Agents from the Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) obtained a search warrant for Dau's residence a week ago Monday.

An Ellsworth man pled guilty to two counts of burglary Monday in Pierce County Circuit Court. Justin D. Ogden, 27, also pled guilty to fleeing an officer stemming from an April incident that started in the village of Ellsworth but then involved Pierce County Sheriff's deputies. He pled to those charges as part of an agreement. Ogden will be sentenced 11 a.m. Dec.

A Spring Valley man pled guilty Monday in Pierce County Circuit Court to one count of incest. John A. Landgraf, 64, pled guilty to the charge as result of an agreement. He will be sentenced 10:15 a.m. Dec. 20. He was initially charged with two counts of incest, but the other charge was dismissed. According to the criminal complaint, Landgraf came to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department Aug. 18 and told investigators he had "improper relations" with a family member, now a teenager, for the last eight years.

A Prescott teenager pled guilty to sexual assault of a child Friday in Pierce County Circuit Court. Derek L. Donley, 18, was placed on a deferred prosecution agreement for two years, meaning he has to abide by a set of conditions during that time. If he does, he can apply to have his record expunged; if he doesn't he will be sentenced. "The incentive and opportunity is there for you," said Judge Joseph Boles. "This could go away after two years.

A Hager City man was sentenced to jail Monday in Pierce County Circuit Court for failure to pay child support. Christopher R. Curtis, 39, N2792 830th St., was sentenced to six months jail with a provision. Pierce County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Boles ordered Curtis to start his jail term next month and serve two months. During those three months, if Curtis can find a full-time job, Boles will stay the final four months of his term. If not, he has to serve the rest.

With no complaints, the new Pierce County Supervisory boundary lines were approved Tuesday night. These will be in effect for the next 10 years. The breakdown for each of the 17 districts is as follows along with its Supervisor: 1 - (Chip Simones) Simones will now represent Wards 3-5 in the City of Prescott compared to Wards 1 and 2 today. 2 - (LeRoy Peterson) Peterson loses Ward 3 in the City of Prescott, but now gains Ward 6. He still holds onto the Town of Clifton. 3 - (Jon Aubart) Aubart retains Ward 3 in the Town of River Falls.

Rod Rommel might have said it best when describing county funding in today's economic climate. "Gentlemen," Rommel said, when addressing his fellow Pierce County Supervisors during last Tuesday's meeting. "The County spends about nine million for public health and human services; six million equally for law enforcement and highway, yet we only spend 39 thousand on jobs?" Rommel said the previous as he was highlighting findings from the Program Committee, which he chaired.

It's down to three for the vacant Pierce County Administrative Coordinator position. The Finance and Personnel committee selected the three finalists Wednesday from a pool of nine semifinalists. The three are: Tony Chladek, former City Administrator for the City of Merrill, Wis.,; Randy Eide, Director of Public Works for Menomonie; and, JoAnn Miller, former Village Administrator for the Village of DeForest, Wis. Chladek was city administrator for Merrill from April 2006 through April of this year. He was previously city administrator for Stewartville, Minn., from 2002-2005.